That Jutsu
by xo.skyla
Summary: Shizune stared at Tsunade. Tsunade stared at Shizune. "There's got to be something we can do for them- I'm sick of seeing them like this." The younger said. "I have an idea." The older woman voiced, smirking. "We're going to use THAT jutsu." DISCONTINUED.
1. Experiment

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto!**

**A/n: This is the re-written version of chapter one. It has a lot of the same events, just some different things. Like the way Naruto acted and other things. Remember they are eighteen in this! PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!**

* * *

**Chapter One**

* * *

Tsunade sighed and ran a hand through her light blond hair, a frown forming on her lips. All week had been nothing but a hassle. Most of it involving a court case- Sasuke Uchiha's court case to be exact. She had been forced to endure five days of an intense trial - one where the elders were nervous and bitchy. After all, now that Sasuke knew of the truth and he had come back to Konoha he was determined to drag the elders down with him. Which in the end, he and they both won in their own ways- but mainly Sasuke.

She decided to exile the current elders and elect a new batch of old bags that would undoubtedly gripe about every little thing that she did. That was what the elders were best for after after all. Griping, moaning, and tearing her a new one if they didn't approve of something- which was almost everything.

Then again SHE did appoint them herself this time- they weren't hand-me-down elders from the previous Hokage. The new council consisted of people that were younger than herself, but still very knowledgeable, reliable, and trustworthy. They weren't very well known, but she knew them personally to be unbiased and interested in what was best for the village.

Sasuke's punishment in the end was to start out from the rank of Genin and have a year of probation while having to complete one-hundred-and-fifty hours of community service. It was a gentle punishment in her opinion- but she knew if she had him executed then Naruto and Sakura would never forgive her nor would they forgive the village. Hell, they would try to save Sasuke from such a fate- even if it meant risking their own lives. That much was certain.

The older blond leaned back in her chair, her dark amber-toned eyes glued to the ceiling. Thinking of Naruto and Sakura made her wonder about why they had such a . . . distant relationship now. They had been closer than any other team before the Fourth Great Shinobi War.

Now they were just distant and it was starting to show what kind of emotional and mental turmoil it was causing each other. Naruto tried to act like everything was all right by giving fake smiles and laughs while cracking jokes - and Sakura had been acting depressed. When she was around her friends though she would force a smile on her face and try and pretend like nothing was wrong. But it was more than obvious to not only her, but their entire friend network, that something had happened between the two. The only ones that even acted like they knew what was going on was Yamato, Sai, Kiba, Kakashi, and Lee and they hadn't even really told her what it could be.

Tsunade frowned. Was there anything that could repair their friendship so that they could act normal again? It was killing her seeing two people she cherished so down and depressed. But what could she do?

Before she could even come up with any ideas for a solution to Naruto and Sakura's strange behavior, Shizune walked in her office, a folder tucked under her arm.

"Here's those hospital reports that you required, My Lady." Shizune mumbled, approaching Tsunade's less than tidy desk and placing it on top of a mound of paperwork.

"Thank you." Tsunade mumbled, "Hey," Shizune stopped and glanced up at Tsunade with a questioning look on her face, "have you noticed how down Naruto and Sakura have been?"

Shizune didn't even hesitate, "Yes, how could you _not_ notice?"

Tsunade cuffed her chin between her index finger and thumb, a calculating expression hanging on her features, "Hm, I wonder if there is anything we could do to help them make-up." she said, "You know something bad happened between them."

Shizune bobbed her head in agreement, "But what?"

Tsunade sighed, "I don't know- but I heard about Sakura chasing Naruto down in Iron Country while I was still in a comatose state." She said, closing her eyes, "Then when they got back was when I woke up. And I haven't seen them really be around each other much since then."

"So you're saying . . ."

"That something happened between them in Iron Country." Tsunade pointed out, causing Shizune to blink in realization. "Sakura must have said something or done something or vice versa that caused friction in their relationship." she said, "And it must be pretty bad if they haven't even made up yet."

Shizune stared at Tsunade. Tsunade stared at Shizune. "There has to be something we can do."

Tsunade's eyes widen all of a sudden, a light going off in her head. "I have an idea - it was just an experiment but . . ." the older voiced, trailing off and smirking happily. "We're going to use THAT jutsu."

Shizune cocked her head to the side, "Huh?"

Tsunade stood up and walked over to a tote that she had brought in. It contained valuable trinkets for various jutsu that she knew. She knelled by the side of the tote and popped off the blue lid with ease and discarded it on the floor beside her. Afterward she rummaged through the box, moving things aside until she found what she was looking for.

With a smirk on her face, she pulled out two rope necklaces, each having a small kunai charm attached (they were too dull to cause the wearer any pain or harm). She then went back to her desk and sat down, eyeing the necklaces.

Shizune arched her eyebrows, "I think I know now." she said, crossing her arms, "And that might just work. But weren't you going to use that for those on house arrest?"

"Yes, but we will make an exception. Besides, I haven't tried it out on anyone to see if it will work." Tsunade grinned, then put the necklaces down on her desk. Afterward she did a few hand seals, the charms on the necklaces lit up a blue color - the color of chakra - for a few moments before changing back to normal. "Now I just need you to go fetch our subjects for us."

Shizune bowed, "Yes, My Lady." And with that she was gone.

Tsunade couldn't wipe the smug grin off of her face. She may or may not have just saved her two favorite subordinates - not that she was biased or anything. Just protective over the two. One her apprentice, the other like a son to her.

She just hoped her plan would work.

* * *

Sakura gazed up at her pasty white ceiling, a frown on her face. She should be happy - Sasuke was back, safe and sound - but she wasn't. Of course she was glad that Sasuke was back home - he was her friend and she cared deeply about him. But she just felt uneasy. Mainly because after everything was said and done, Naruto started distancing himself from her. When **_she_ **had tried to offer to take him to Ichiraku's he had said 'no'. That's when she knew something was really wrong. He was her best friend and she knew him almost like the back of her hand when it came to his actions - but sometimes he could be unpredictable and this was one of those times. But she had a feeling she knew what was wrong.

It was her words in Iron Country. She had lied to him about her feelings. She had forced herself to try and reciprocate his feelings that she had learned that he had for her which resulted in her sounding insincere. And she didn't even realize how much she had hurt him until a few weeks ago when she started really analyzing their situation as a whole. And that's when it dawned on her how rude and cruel her actions had been.

If Sasuke had told her that he loved her when they were twelve in such an insincere manner she would have been heart-broken and would have felt betrayed. Yet, she never stopped to think that Naruto _wouldn't _believe her. She assumed that he would not question her and take her words to heart. Which he had taken her words to heart, just not in the way she had wanted him to. Instead he had told her with a hurt and angered face, _"I hate people who lie to themselves_."

Sakura flinched at the memory; there was no way she could turn this around and blame someone else. She was the one who got herself in her current situation. And she needed to learn the consequences of her actions.

The pinkette turned on her side, stifling back a sob, why had she taken him for granted? He had always done just about anything for her without question and now she had ruined what they had. And what they had was something she had considered special. She cared about her friendship more so with him than Sasuke. She was willing to _kill_ Sasuke if it meant saving Naruto and preventing Sasuke from falling even further into the dark abyss of misery._ That man_, she had thought, _was a lost cause_. The Sasuke she had once known was gone.

But Naruto had proved her wrong - he had been able to pull Sasuke back to the light. And in the end Sasuke had gotten his revenge against the elders (yes, she learned the truth about Itachi and finally understood why he had joined the Akatsuki and was so set on destroying Konoha). So all had seemed all right in the end. But when they got back to Konoha and Sasuke's trial had ended, Naruto did a complete 180! He distanced himself - very un-Naruto like. And it worried her.

She just wanted to make everything better, but she didn't know how. When he saw her he would immediately change his path - flee using Hiraishin on a few occasions. And that hurt as well. He didn't want to be near her. Usually, when she, him, Sasuke, Sai, and Kakashi were at Ichiraku's together they would act just like they use to. Except Naruto never referred to her as 'Sakura-chan' it was always just 'Sakura'. And most of the time his smiles were fake, his laughter empty. Which did she blame him after what she had done?

No.

If Sasuke, when she was still in love with him, had done the things that she had done - she wouldn't have been able to forgive him. She would have been devastated by such false hope. She would have forced herself to move on. After all, she would have felt disrespected and belittled.

But she hoped she would never experience that. Besides, she had lost her feelings for Sasuke (even though, during the war she had been certain she still loved him romantically, but learned otherwise). She didn't know it, but after a while, she realized that she valued Naruto more than she did Sasuke. Of course she valued Sasuke quite a bit now that he had returned. But still . . . she would never allow herself to love him again - not like that. Sasuke was emotionally daft and torn. He had deep scars running through him mentally and emotionally that he would never be able to overcome - at least not for a long time. Meaning that his intimate and love life would suffer greatly. He wasn't one to get close with someone physically nor was he willing to really open up to someone. So why waste her time? He needed a true friend like Naruto to open up to fully before he could ever open up to a girlfriend or someone he felt romantically about.

Sakura sat up in her bed and walked over to the glass sliding doors that lead out to her balcony. She slid open the door and walked over to the stone railing and leaned against it, her elbows resting on the cool stone while her chin rested in her palms. She kept her eyes focused on the orange and pink sky above the village, the beautiful shade of orange reminding her of the friend she had lost for being so stupid and compulsive.

She bit her bottom lip, and stood up, rubbing her arms to attempt to warm them up in the winter air. Her Jounin outfit wasn't very winter-friendly, but since she was on call she chose to wear it despite that fact. All she wore was the usual Jounin navy blue shirt with the sleeves pushed up to her elbows, black gloves to protect her knuckles when she pushed her chakra into her fists, an olive green Jounin vest, black short shorts, her black knee-high ninja boots, and her usual ninja equipment. She was more than cold to say the least.

When Sakura had enough of the cold she turned around and went to head back inside when she felt a presence behind her. Immediately she twisted her body back around, readying her fist to make contact with flesh, muscle, and bone when she saw who it was.

"Shizune?" She blinked, crossed her arms, and shivered, "What's wrong?"

"Lady Hokage requires your presence."

* * *

Why was he acting like this?

Naruto sighed and sat down on his bed cross legged. His shaggy blond hair was missing its usual head band and he was clad in a long sleeved black Jounin shirt that had the signature red-swirl on each upper sleeve (his sleeves were rolled up to his elbows), an olive green Jounin vest that was unzipped, and his usual orange pants. He didn't care too much for fashion, but decided it would be best to start wearing the Jounin shirt and vest to show off his rank. Even _she_ had started doing that.

The blond frowned at the thought of his pink-headed_ friend_. Of course he still cared about her and didn't want to see her unhappy, but now that he had brought Sasuke back his mind was plagued by her _confession_. That's what had him in such a wreck.

He was hurt.

He felt betrayed.

He felt angry.

He felt _disrespected_.

Yet instead of approaching him and apologizing for what she had done, they both pretended as if nothing happened - flashing smiles and laughing whenever they were around the rest of their friends or comrades. She acted as if she didn't even care whether or not they made up. She didn't come to his apartment to talk, and she didn't seek him out often. Her actions were proof enough that her words had been empty ones. Just - just why the fuck did he love her?

The blond sighed, that was an easy question. She was caring. She was bold. She could be abusive when he pissed her off or went too far - she had always kept him in line when he needed to be. She had stunning jade eyes, a smile to die for, a forehead that he would love to kiss, and beautiful, managed pink hair that he wanted to run his fingers through. He wanted to make her happy - and that was another reason he distanced himself.

If she didn't love him - if she didn't respect him - then that meant that she still viewed him as a pest. An annoying fly that was in her way of being with Sasuke. He was willing to put his happiness on the line for her - even after everything she had done. That's just how much he loved her.

Naruto gazed across his room where a golden picture frame rested on top of his dresser. The picture was of him and Sakura at the winter festival when they were fifteen. She had worn a pale blue kimono with a design composed of small, white flowers that complimented her features beautifully and a white sash around her waist, her short hair had been clipped up in the back while her bangs were kept down, cuffing her face. He on the other hand had worn a plain black yukata with a navy blue sash around his waist. He had won Sakura a stuffed teddy bear and that was what made them decide to have a picture taken. Thankfully they ran into Lee whom had a camera and made them huddle together for a photo. Sakura and he both were smiling, his arm around her shoulders while she squeezed the bear to her chest.

"What a good memory." he muttered, laughing bitterly just as a pebble 'clinked' on his window. He cocked an eyebrow and swiftly bent over the edge of the bed and grabbed his ninja sandals. He put them on and crawled over the bed and opened his window. He frowned when he saw Shizune down on the street staring up at him expectantly. "Shizune?"

"Yeah!" she answered, her hands cuffing her mouth, "Lady Hokage requires your presence!"

Naruto sighed, "What does Tsunade-baachan want now?"

* * *

Sakura and Tsunade gazed at each other, the younger frowning, the older smirking. The room was tense and the silence long, but they both knew something was about to happen. It was to be anticipated after all.

Finally Sakura stepped forward, her nerves getting the best of her, "Is their something that you need Tsunade-shishou?"

Tsunade smirked and nodded, "Yes, but you're going to have to wait for a moment, Sakura."

Sakura blinked in surprise and decided that it be best not to say anything. Instead she opted to just bow her head and take a seat in a chair beside Tsunade's desk. Once she was sitting she glanced over at her teacher, a pleasant look on her face. That boosted Sakura's curiosity. Just what the hell was Tsunade up to? Whatever it was it was making Sakura uncomfortable and putting her on edge. She knew the woman had something up her sleeve, but just what to be exact?

Before Sakura could contemplate her current situation any longer, Shizune and Naruto came through the door. Sakura and Naruto both gasped, the latter giving her a fake, cheesy grin. Sakura placed her hand over her heart and sighed, why wouldn't he just let her talk to him? Didn't he know she wanted to apologize? Of course not . . . How could he?

"I just wanted you both to come here because I have something to give you." Tsunade spoke before they could say anything to one another, noticing the immediate build up of tension in the room. The aura was awful and almost suffocating, full of anger, hurt, and confusion. That's just how strong the emotions seemed to roll off of everyone in the room were.

"What would you like to give us, Tsunade-baachan?" Naruto questioned, his arms crossed across his chest. Part of Tsunade expected Sakura to leap over to Naruto and punch him for calling her 'baachan' like she normally would - but it didn't happen. Sakura didn't even budge an inch, in fact.

Wiping the surprise from her face, Tsunade said, "These necklaces."

Sakura and Naruto neared her desk, making sure there was distance between themselves though. "Necklaces?" they asked in unison as the Hokage handed them both identical rope necklaces with a kunai charm attached to each.

"Yeah, I wanted you both to know how much I appreciate you as my subordinates." she chirped, grinning widely when they both thanked her and slipped them over their heads around their necks. Immediately they glowed the color of her chakra, causing both to jump back in shock.

"What the hell?" Naruto chided, trying to tug the necklace off only to be zapped by her chakra and feel his being drained at the same time. "Ouch!"

"W-What's this about, Tsunade-shishou?" Sakura inquired, her own attempt to take the necklace off ending with the same results as Naruto. After the intense, acute pain disappeared, she was left panting from what felt like chakra exhaustion to a small degree. She certainly didn't want to feel that again! It felt as if someone made her hold onto an electric fence that not only shocked her but absorbed her chakra as well!

"Those necklaces force you to have to spend time together - corny yes, but will it solve whatever issues that you two are having? Hopefully. Also I needed subjects to try this jutsu out on - who better than my most trusted subordinates." Tsunade explained with a pleased look. "If you try to pull the necklaces off, both which are fused with my chakra, will result in you feeling intense pain while having your chakra drain. Also if you both are out of a three meter (9.9 feet) radius of one another the one that left the radius will feel that pain and exhaustion. It could result in death if you're out of the radius for a prolonged amount of time."

"But why the hell would you do that, baachan?" Naruto demanded, a mortified expression overwhelming his features. Sakura just stared down at her feet in thought, she did want to make up with Naruto after all - and this was the perfect opportunity to rekindle their friendship. Also she was all for helping her master after all she had done for her over the years. But if they were too far apart from each other it could result in death. Those consequences were . . . harsh.

"Because for one, you two need to make nice. And the other reason is because this could make house arrest a lot more easier. No escapees." Tsunade answered, "This experiment will last until next summer. Now - GET YOUR ASSES OUT OF MY OFFICE!"

"B-But . . . but . . . what should we do first, Tsunade-shishou?" Sakura asked meekly, her hands clasped in front of her tightly, a blush on her face. Things were going to be hell. Bathroom breaks -_oh my Kami?_ Her eyes widened - this experiment lasted for three seasons, how the hell were they going to go to the bathroom?

"I suggest you figure out who is going to live with who."

* * *

**I hope that's better than the original. Naruto doesn't completely avoid Sakura and pretends to be happy on occasion I hope he seemed more in character! Please tell me what you think!**


	2. Apology

**A/n: I hope you all like this version better!**

* * *

**Chapter two**

* * *

Naruto frowned, his head turned away from the pinkette walking beside him in silence. The tension was thick between them, both just itching to say something, but neither could find the words to say. The blond shinobi sighed, tucked his hands into his pockets, and gave Sakura a quick glance; blue met jade. He averted his eyes back down to his feet without a word. Part of himself wanted to just say, 'All right I'm over everything - let's just forget the whole thing even happened so this can go back smoothly.', but he couldn't. Every time he parted his lips no sound came out.

As they turned down another corner, Sakura balled her hands up. "Okay," she said, taking a deep, shaky breath, "I think it's best if I live with you."

Naruto remained silent, upsetting the pink-haired shinobi even more. "Naruto, say something - please?" she begged, reaching out to touch his shoulder, but he quickly evaded her touch. The seventeen-year-old female hid her hurt and dropped her shoulders. "It would be best if I live with you because it would just be you and I at your apartment. I'll help pay the rent and buy the groceries." she explained, earning a nod from Naruto.

_Why won't he even look at me?_ she thought, moving her hands in front of her and lacing her fingers together. She felt as if he thought she was some disgusting piece of trash that he was through with. But then again, she did deserve the silent treatment after what she had done and said to him. She hadn't been thinking straight and ended up hurting him and their relationship- maybe even beyond repair.

At that thought Sakura shook her head, her eyes burning as they teared up. She didn't want Naruto to hate her. She didn't know if she would be able to take her closest - well maybe not anymore - teammate despising her. She wanted to be close with him like before. She wanted to tell him her problems and hear his comforting words and feel his kind gestures. She wanted to punch him for being stupid. She wanted to laugh at his jokes and see his smile.

"That's fine with me." Naruto finally muttered, causing Sakura to perk up slightly. He had finally _spoken _to her after silence all day.

"Hey!" Sakura chirped, grabbing Naruto's arm. He didn't shrug out of her hold for once, pleasing the pinkette, "Look!" She pointed toward a familiar stand with white flaps with red kanji wrote on them hanging down to provide privacy for its customers. "Do you want to get some ramen, Naruto? My treat."

Naruto gazed at the stand with hunger in his eyes, a calculating look on his face. "How about later after we get your things to my apartment?" he finally murmured, one of his fake smiles plastered onto his face. "I'm not really hungry." At that time his stomach betrayed him and let out a low growl.

Sakura sighed, he really just didn't want to be around her, huh? She wanted to just dive down onto her knees and beg for forgiveness, but she was too damn stubborn to do such a thing. She would earn his trust and friendship back on more honorable terms. "Are you sure?" she questioned, fishing out her pink change purse from the pouch on her back and jangling it in front of his face.

"Yeah." he snapped, crossing his arms - which was a little difficult with Sakura's power hold on his arm, "Let's just get your stuff over to my apartment."

"All right." she muttered, putting her change purse back in its place and commencing to walk on toward her house. She was highly disappointed that Naruto hadn't accepted her offer, but she couldn't force him. She wanted to be on better terms with him but at this point he was being too stubborn to really talk or do anything. She really didn't like this side of Naruto - the side pushing her away and being cold. It almost reminded her of . . . Sasuke. Except his eyes weren't harsh and void of emotion - in fact, Naruto's were burning with emotion. They always did . . .

As they neared her house, a few girls passed by, blushing and waving at Naruto. The boy of course returned the gesture, a kind smile on his face, causing them to giggle and blush even harder. Sakura felt a tugging in her chest, but chose to push it in the back of her mind.

"I guess I have no choice but to go in with you." Naruto said, halting all movement as he caught sight of her front door.

"Yeah, that stupid three meter radius will be the death of us." Sakura grumbled, about to twist the door knob when a hawk swooped down in front of her, landing on the windowsill of the window beside the door. Both Sakura and Naruto blinked at the bird before it stuck its leg out, a message tied securely around it.

"What the hell?" Naruto mumbled, untying the parchment from the bird's leg and unrolling it. "It's from Tsunade-baachan," he stated, his eyes scanning the words, "She says that weren't not allowed to go on any missions the whole time we are under this jutsu - that it is a mission itself - and that once our time is up she'll dispel the jutsu."

Sakura bit the inside of her jaw, if they didn't make up soon then they were about to have a few months of pure hell."I hope you don't mind spending time with me, Naruto." She said, watching him shoo the hawk and tuck the unfurled parchment into his pocket.

"Yeah, like wise." Naruto accorded, not adding the "_since I know I'm such a bother to you - especially now that Sasuke is back_." part.

Before Sakura could retort, the front door of her house was slung open to reveal a blond-headed, jade-eyed forty-something-year-old woman with a welcoming grin on her face. "Sakura, I see you and Naruto-san finally made up! You have been so upset-"

"MOM!" Sakura screeched, silencing her mother, her face as a fiery red shade.

Mibuki chuckled at her daughter and averted her attention to the blushing blond, "Naruto-san, please, come in." she chirped, "The whole village owes you - myself included."

"No, no, no." Naruto laughed, acting more like his usual self to not come off as rude or smug. "As a ninja it's my duty to protect the village." he added, following Sakura and Mibuki inside to be greeted by a warm vibe that the house radiated. The living room walls were painted a deep kelly-green, the floors were oak-wood, and there was a tan couch and love-seat positioned against one wall. In the center of the room there was a coffee table and in the corner closest to the kitchen was a television. On the walls hung a few family photographs. Some of just Sakura's parents, some of just Sakura, and some of people he hadn't seen before.

"But you did what no one else could do." Mibuki pointed out, pausing in the archway connecting the kitchen to the living room. "If you hadn't succeeded Konoha would have fallen - no doubt about it either."

"Everyone helped out in their own way." Naruto insisted, scratching the back of his head sheepishly.

Mibuki gave him a genuine smile, wiped her hands against the white apron tied securely around her waist, and asked, "So, what are you two doing here right now anyways? I figured you would be spending most of your time at the hospital, Sakura."

Sakura gulped and took a seat on the couch, "Naruto and I have a mission, I'll have to stay with him for a while to prepare."

"Prepare as in . . . ?" Mibuki squeaked, her eyes wide with perverted accusations. "And for how long?

Sakura and Naruto both went red from the implication, both stuttering incoherent words and phrases. "It's not l-like t-that!" Sakura finally choked out, "We are going to train all day, come up with the quickest route to our destination, and battle strategies." she added, "Also, it's going to be a couple of months. You can confirm it with Tsunade-shishou."

Mibuki frowned, "Okay, I do trust you, Sakura. But I doubt your father will be so happy - anyways, will you two be going to the festival any day this week?"

"Festival . . ." Sakura murmured, her eyes widening. "Fuck-"

"LANGUAGE!" Mibuki harped, giving Sakura a sharp look.

"S-Sorry- I had forgotten about the festival. But we'll probably go one day." Sakura said, "R-Right, Naruto?"

Naruto bobbed his head, his eyes boring into Sakura's, "Yeah."

"Well," Mibuki said awkwardly, "you better go and pack your things."

* * *

After Sakura had packed her things, her and Naruto went back to his apartment where she unpacked her belongings and placed them in the spare drawer in his dresser. It was an awkward event that was done in silence and tension. Sakura wanted to say something but she kept finding herself opening her mouth with only silence to come out. A moment later she would purse her lips, knit her eyebrows together, and droop her shoulders.

Once the task of unpacking was completed Sakura had tidied his apartment up for him and now they were just sitting on his couch, frowns on their faces. She had changed into a pair of shorts and a tank-top while Naruto had his back turned to her. He had also changed into a pair of plaid pajama pants and a black t-shirt. Thankfully no-one peeked on the other so they had no problems. She had half expected Naruto to try and get a look at her ass, but he didn't even try. Part of herself was disappointed - not because she was a pervert - but because that's what her Naruto would have done.

"Um . . ." she began, her voice hoarse due to the prolonged silence. Her eyes traveled over to where her teammate sat, his deep blue eyes were locked on the floor, swirling with pain and other emotions she couldn't read. His lean with muscle arms rested on top of crossed legs, his muscular back was stiff, and his overall posture was tense.

Finally, after a few awkward beats of a moment, he turned his eyes to her, "I know I'm probably being a bother to you." he said spitefully, surprising her. "You know since Sasuke is back and all. I promise I won't get in the way. We can just pretend to get along so that Tsunade-baachan will let us off the hook maybe." he added bitterly, shocking her even more.

Sakura stood to her feet, her face twisted in a mixture of confusion, shock, hurt, and anger. _"Is that what** this** is about, Naruto?_" she demanded, stomping her foot without any chakra enhancing the blow. "Are you mad because you think I'm just going to go back to being _lovey-dovey_ over Sasuke?"

Naruto remained silent for a moment, "No, it's not just that." he retorted fervently, his cerulean blue orbs burning with emotion, "Why did you say those things in Iron Country, Sakura? WHY would you do that to me when you knew how I felt? How would you feel if Sasuke ever did that to you?" he demanded, his voice cracking slightly at the end.

Sakura took a shaky breath, tears threatening to fall from her eyes, "N-Naruto, I told you those things in Iron Country because I wanted to protect you! I wanted to stop causing all of that pain - all of that grie f- and mainly the burden I felt I had placed upon your shoulders. I meant it when I said that you're more important to me than Sasuke! I was willing to kill him just so you could be at peace! I don't love Sasuke anymore - he is my friend and comrade. I want him to be happy, too. In fact, I want you both to be happy!" she exclaimed, now sobbing. Somewhere in the midst of all of this her arms had moved from her sides and had enveloped herself in an embrace as she shook trying to fight back cries.

"I . . ." she paused to try and calm herself, "I never meant to hurt you." she finished, her jade orbs finding themselves entranced into Naruto's blue ones. She had anticipated their talk - had felt anxious and played out many scenarios in her head. Both good and bad ones. She had imagined Naruto somehow breaking the jutsu and picking her up by her collar, kicking her in the ass out the door, then throwing her clothes outside into the street and using a fire jutsu to burn them to ash just to prove how much he hated her now, all with a lopsided grin on his face. Another scenario was him saying it was okay, that he wasn't mad then them lapsing back into their old ways. But that wasn't possible and she knew it.

Sakura bit her bottom lip. They never could go back to normal. She knew his feelings, he was humiliated and hurt, and she herself was concerned and haunted with mixed-emotions. Part of herself hoped that not-normal for them was an even closer relationship. But she was scared to think too deeply on it. She was scared to think of thinking as Naruto as more than a friend and comrade. She was terrified he would break her and she would scar him further.

She may not love Sasuke anymore, but she sure the hell didn't know what her feelings toward Naruto were. And at the moment she didn't want to analyze them while her and Naruto's friendship - or what was left of it - was hanging on a thin line. One that she had pretty much doomed the second her mouth opened in Iron Country. She had scarred him emotionally and he was wounded worse than ever.

"S-Sakura." Naruto mumbled, suddenly appearing weak. He obviously wanted to give into her words and just forgive her so that they could be friends again. He missed her presence ranging from her smile, her nurturing - and damaging touch, sparring and bantering with her; he just desired to have her back in general. His heart ached for her yet at the same time he wanted to push himself away. He was - he was - "I'm sick of being treated so badly."

Sakura was taken back by those words. It was as if she had been hit by a ton of bricks in the face. Naruto never had been one to complain about his situation - the way he had been treated. He had always overlooked it and stayed strong. Thus, she had hardly worried about how he felt. She thought he could withstand everything - and that was where she was at fault. Had she realized that he was more fragile before she had went to Iron Country, she never would have said those words. At least not try to manipulate him using his emotions against him.

Oh Kami, what a bitch she had been in deed.

Had she realized how much of an effect she had on him earlier then she wouldn't done what she did. She would have been more considerate, but now all she could do was beg, even if it wounded her pride. Naruto deserved for her to get on her knees and beg after all she had done. And that was exactly what she was going to do.

"I'm so, so sorry, Naruto! Please . . ." she choked out, her words sincere. She wanted nothing more than him to just forgive her and be happy. She didn't want to gaze upon his face and see nothing but fakes smiles accompanied by fake laughter anymore. She wanted the real Naruto. Not this hollow shell of the man she use to know. "I never meant to hurt you . . ."

Naruto blinked in surprise. Sakura was begging him for forgiveness? Did he mean that much to her? He couldn't fight back his joy any longer. He was sick of pretending and had waited so long for those words - that apology - all from her lips. "Sakura-chan . . ." he trailed off, about to approach her to deal her that he had forgave her when he felt her plow into him, her arms wrapped around his neck, her face buried in his chest. "You," he said, lacing his arms around the middle of her back, "have no idea how long I have been waiting to hear those words."

Sakura pulled away slightly and gazed into his eyes, searching for anything. All she saw was what would be described as affection, hurt, joy, and years of pain. "Naruto . . ."

"I forgive you."

* * *

**Sorry the chapter was short and serious- this ends with just half of the apology btw. I have decided to take this story down a different path. One that I think will open up more possibilities for the outcome. I promise the next chapter will be longer and with more humor and such.**

**Anyways, please review!**


	3. Sleeping Arrangements

**A/n: Thanks for the reviews, favorites, alerts, etc! I hope you all continue to give your support!**

* * *

**Chapter Three**

* * *

_Tap . . ._

_Tap . . ._

_Tap-tap . . ._

Tsunade seized to tap the tip of her pen against her desk and leaned back in her chair with her arms crossed. After she had sent Naruto and Sakura off a few hours ago her mind kept wondering from her paperwork, her curiosity to know how the two were doing eating away at her internally. Of course she knew that they would probably would have a heated conversation seeing as how Naruto sometimes was confrontational with a tendency to blurt out inklings on his mind - that wouldn't last long though. She knew how Naruto was and she knew how Sakura was. Once the one that had done wrong apologized, they would become friends again almost instantaneously. After all, Sakura nor Naruto were the type to hold long grudges - especially when it came to those they cared about.

The older woman sighed, pushed her chair back with her feet, and stood up. She wasn't in the mood to sit any longer and it was dusk - just about time for her to leave her office for a bit and take a break. Hell, she might spare herself and finish the paperwork tomorrow. She approached one of the bay windows directly behind her desk and gazed down at the vast village surrounding her. Mother's were beckoning their children inside, couples were staring up at the blue, orange, and pink streaked sky, hand-in-hand, and others were shuffling inside the confines of their homes.

She truly loved the village she protected.

"Lady Tsunade." An all-too-familiar voice chirped, bringing her out of her daze as they entered her office.

"Shizune," Tsunade greeted and turned to her long-time friend. "what brings you here?" she asked, knotting her eyebrows together when she seen the worry creases on the younger's face. "Is something wrong?"

Shizune bowed her head, her eyes shifting to the wall to her right where a couple of filing cabinets sat, "I'm worried that maybe we shouldn't have done this to Naruto and Sakura," she mumbled, "What if it only makes things worse between them? And - and besides, is it really any of our business what happens between them?"

"They will be fine." Tsunade answered dismissively and cuffed her chin between her forefinger and thumb, "And I just don't want them to do something that they would regret - and holding a grudge towards one another is something that they most definitely would regret." she added, shutting her eyes, drifting off to a distant memory. _And I don't want them to end up like us, right, Jiraiya_?

* * *

"I'm glad we finally got that out of the way, Sakura-chan." Naruto chirped, plopping back down the couch with a cup of hot cocoa clasped between his hands.

"Yeah," Sakura accorded, "me too." She raised the rim of her cup up to her lips and took a small sip of her cocoa. "It's almost night." she added thoughtfully, turning her eyes toward Naruto. "Have you got the sleeping arrangement figured out?"

Naruto bobbed his head, gulped down his mouthful of hot cocoa, and flashed Sakura a foxy grin, "Yep, we can share my bed!"

Sakura twitched and popped him one on the head, "Hell no, you pervert!" she screeched, huffing and pointing her nose up in the air.

"I didn't mean it like that, Sakura-chan!" Naruto groaned, rubbing the top of his throbbing head.

"Sure you didn't - I just don't see why I can't sleep in your extra bedroom." Sakura muttered, taking another sip of her hot cocoa, a tint of pink tainting her cheeks.

"Because of the necklaces." Naruto answered, earning another punch to his already sore noggin. But he was thankful she was pulling her punches or he probably would have just ruined his brand new leather couch.

Sakura huffed, "I'm not that stupid!"

"Anyways," Naruto quickly said, changing the subject in hopes of not getting punched again, "this is the first time you have been to my new apartment, what do you think?"

"It's nice now that I cleaned it up." Sakura answered, her eyes scanning their surroundings. His living room and kitchen were connected; the walls were painted a sherbet orange, the floors throughout the entire house was a dark wood of some sort, and the furniture in the living room consisted of a beige couch, a television in the corner, a bookshelf, and a chest in the center of the room full of scrolls. In the kitchen there was a wooden table the same hue as the floor and cabinets, a metal stand holding a microwave with a black refrigerator beside it.

Aside from the kitchen and living room, he had two bedrooms, one bathroom, and a utility room. The walls in both bedrooms was white, both having queen-sized beds - Naruto's being a memory foam mattress - a decent sized closet, and a dresser. Anything else was personal like picture frames (some hanging in the living room and kitchen as well). In the bathroom he had a white porcelain toilet, tub, and sink, a medicine cabinet with a mirror, ecetera. And all that was in the utility room was a washer, dryer, and laundry basket.

"Well," Naruto said, "I'm glad you like it, Sakura-chan - after all you will be living here for a while I guess, huh?"

"Yeah," she replied, "you're sleeping in the floor."

"Wait! We weren't even talking about sleeping arrangements anymore, Sakura-chan!" Naruto whined, standing to his feet, his bottom lip pushed out.

Sakura rolled her eyes, "We were until you changed the subject, pervert."

"I'm not a pervert!" Naruto argued, finishing his cocoa off with one, swift gulp. "I won't try anything funny - you know that." he said, "Besides, I don't want to sleep on the floor for a couple of months - imagine my poor back!"

"It's your back or my foot up your ass." Sakura replied simply, a smirk on her face.

Naruto slammed the heel of his palm against his forehead. "Sakura-chan, why can't we just share the bed?"

Sakura sighed, "Because it would be awkward after everything - don't you agree?"

"Look, my bed is big enough that I can sleep on one edge and you the other." Naruto said, trying to reason with his stubborn-as-an-ass friend and teammate. "Won't that work, ne?"

"Gr," Sakura growled, placing her cup beside Naruto's on the chest, "fine, but on one condition."

"And what's that?" Naruto asked suspiciously. He didn't like Sakura when she was in one of these moods. The type where she had an evil, mischievous glint in her jade orbs, a smirk playing on her lips, and a certain 'air' about her. It crept him out and made him anticipate something crazy to happen.

Sakura's smirk only grew, "You'll see." She answered, leaning back against the couch and stretching her legs out in front of her.

"I don't like the sound of that -" Naruto paused in mid-sentence, his stomach suddenly rolling. He blinked and blushed heavily. Why now of all times did he have to go to the bathroom? And just how was this going to work out? Sakura would have to stand right outside his door while he did his business - and that would be just too embarrassing. He gulped.

Sakura's smirk quickly faded, "What's wrong, Naruto-kun?" she asked, standing up and stepping over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder out of concern.

"Well- uh- I- you see- err." He stammered, his blush deepening.

"Spit it out, idiot!" Sakura demanded, her patience suddenly wearing thin.

Naruto scratched the back of his head nervously, "I have to go to the bathroom." he finally admitted, his voice low and quiet to the point that Sakura was forced to strain her ears just to hear what he had said.

"Oh, all right, I'll stand outside the bathroom door while you go." Sakura chimed.

"Um, okay." Naruto retorted awkwardly, heading toward the bathroom with Sakura right behind him. He wanted to tell her just to cover her ears or something, but then she would more than likely just hit him. But what if she was grateful for the warning? What should he do? He glanced over his shoulder to where Sakura was. She flashed him a smile that he returned and all he could think was that she looked so calm.

As they neared the bathroom, Sakura said, "Just hurry up - and don't forget to wash your hands."

"Uh - yeah." Naruto muttered, opening the door and flicking the light on. Once his entire body was in the bathroom he shut and locked the door behind him.

Outside in the hallway Sakura, just in case Naruto was doing what she thought he was, had her fingers plunged into the depths of her ear-holes. She certainly didn't want to make things uncomfortable for him - especially since she might be in the same situation the following morning. Just the thought made her heart thump nervously and her face turn a bright shade of red. She was a woman - and most men thought that doing 'that' was unnatural for women. How daft.

In the bathroom Naruto was shaking, what would Sakura think about him after this? Would she hate him? He grabbed the waistband of his pants, he was a wreck - almost to the point of regurgitating all he had devoured that day.

"Hurry up, dammit!" Sakura screeched, causing Naruto to jump.

"Sorry!" Naruto called back, fidgeting with his pants.

Sakura, now with her fingers out of her ears, hollered, "You'll think sorry when your ass is getting kicked through the wall!"

"Okay, okay!"

After a minute or two, Naruto emerged from the bathroom, an embarrassed glint in his blue eyes. She didn't say anything nor did she question him. Instead she snatched one of his wrists and tugged him towards the bedroom. She figured not saying anything would make him feel less humiliated. She was right.

"Now, what was your 'one condition'?" Naruto questioned, hoping that it was nothing too bad. Unless it was a good bad. He mentally kicked himself for that thought. Sakura would never like him like that - nor would she ever have any relations with him like that. It was best just to toss such thoughts to the curb.

"One moment." Sakura drawled, approaching her suitcase and pulling the zipper. She dug around in her suitcase until her hand felt what she had been looking for. "This!" she chimed, pulling out a pair of hand cuffs.

Naruto went red. "And YOU called ME a pervert? What the hell? And here you are trying to be kinky - " he demanded, only to get slapped across the face.

"It's not like that you damn pervert." Sakura snapped, shaking her head.

"Then what?" Naruto questioned, rubbing his sore cheek.

"Well," she said, glancing up at head of his bed. "Since you're going to be sleeping on the left side of the bed, that means I'm just going to have to cuff your right hand to the head of the bed. That way you can't get touchy."

Naruto groaned, "I thought you trusted me more, Sakura-chan."

"It's not that I don't trust you," she said, grabbing his right hand and latching one of the cool, metal cuffs to his wrist, "it's just a way to keep us from cuddling or 'spooning' unintentionally." she finished, forcing Naruto to lay down and leaned over him to try and latch the empty cuff to the railing of the head of the bed.

"Wow, Sakura, I didn't expect you to be the kinky kind." a voice said from the window, startling both Naruto and Sakura.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura yelped, leaping away from Naruto, her eyes wide.

Naruto chided, "What the hell are you doing here? And we're not doing anything like that! We just have to share a bed!"

"Sureeee. I was just stopping by to see if what Lady Tsunade told me was true - and it seems so." Kakashi said, perched on the now open windowsill. He nearly laughed when he saw their horrified expressions. "Don't worry," he mumbled, pulling out his orange book, "Shizune and I are the only ones that know what's going on here."

"Shew," Sakura huffed, as she approached her respective side of the bed and tugged the covers back slightly before climbing in. Once she was under she jerked the blankets out from under Naruto and covered him up so that he wouldn't get cold in the night. "what a relief."

"Yeah," Kakashi said, "I guess I'll be going now. Have fun having kinky sex. Ja ne."

"KAKASHI-SENSEI!" Sakura growled, flying up from the bed in a whirlwind of pink and white. The poor middle-aged man didn't have a chance to react before her fist collided with the side of his unsuspecting face.

In a nearby apartment a woman was enjoying a cup of tea, her young eight-year-old son was playing with his favorite action figure, a smile on both of their faces. She sighed contentedly, wishing that her husband was there to watch their son grow up - but he couldn't - not after being a victim to Orochimaru - that bastard. She shook her head and stretched out her legs, exhausted from her shift at the hospital. She may not be a ninja with chakra enhanced healing, but she was damn good nurse.

"Shio, it's bed time." she said suddenly, getting to her feet.

"Okay mommy." Shio chimed and stood, his toy clutched to his chest.

CRASH!

The woman could only stare at the devastation before her. Her bay window was shattered, there was small cracks in the wall running out from the window, and there was a white-headed ninja laying in her floor. Repeat: there was a white-headed ninja laying in her floor.

"IEEEH!" she squealed, snatching a book up off of the couch and swatting the ninja. "Shoo, ninja, shoo!"

"Sorry -"

"Shoo!"

* * *

**I know it's short, but it will get better. Please review!**


	4. Shopping

**A/n: Thanks for the reviews, favorites, alerts, etc! I hope you all continue to give your support! And sorry for the crazy ass wait!**

* * *

**Chapter Four**

* * *

Morning had been hell for Naruto and Sakura.

As they woke up they found themselves in a battle over the use of the bathroom in which Sakura ultimately came out as the winner as Naruto eventually caved to the sound of Sakura's knuckles popping (though she had no intentions of hitting him). After they were both fresh for the day, they had started breakfast - which had been nothing short of disastrous. Naruto managed to burn the bacon while she had accidentally left the toast in the toaster for too long which resulted in the fire alarm going off and smoking, inedible food - or what was suppose to be food but looked more like a black, massive clump that made both of their stomachs churn when they looked at it.

In the end they decided it would be best to just go out and eat - after all, they didn't want to burn down his apartment or be the cause of themselves getting food poisoning.

Sakura sighed and glanced over at Naruto whom was happily slurping down the noodles of his sixth bowl of miso ramen. A smile immediately tugged at the corners of her mouth; it was nice to see him just being himself again. She really had missed him and his cheeriness.

"Ah," Naruto cooed and leaned back on the stool, his hand instantly going to his stomach. "I missed Ichiraku's ramen." he said, patting his stomach, "I honestly thought we wouldn't be leaving my apartment except to go shopping."

Upon hearing the words 'go shopping' Sakura's face turned pink. She had forgot about THAT, now that she thought about it. "Uh-um-uh . . . about that . . ."

Naruto averted his gaze onto the blushing Sakura, a concerned expression on his face, "What about it? You need something from the store, Sakura-chan?" he asked, "I'll pay for our ramen then we can go to the store."

"Y-Yeah, I just need to pick up a few - er - things." She muttered, the color on her face turning a deeper shade.

"Then let's go!" Naruto exclaimed, fishing out his wallet and slamming down the proper amount of change on the counter before turning and lifting the white flap directly behind him before he stepped out onto the street.

Sakura was quick to jump to her feet and catch up with her blonde friend, after all, they needed to keep the radius in mind. "Wait up, Naruto, dammit!"

When Sakura caught up to Naruto he immediately bombarded her with the dreaded question: "So what exactly are you buying?"

"Something." Sakura grumbled bashfully. She couldn't just come out and scream 'TAMPONS, you idiot!', that would draw too much attention and weird stares. Also it would result in her looking like a complete moron - something that she wasn't too fond of.

Naruto arched his eyebrows, "Something . . .?"

Sakura bit the inside of her jaw as she resisted the urge to punch the dork right on top of his head, "It doesn't matter."

Naruto, sensing the warning in Sakura's tone, dropped the subject and opted to walk in a comfortable, but slightly tense, silence. After all, he wasn't completely aware of his boundaries with the pinkette yet - which meant he didn't know what he could or could not say that might end in him getting punched. Even though for the most part of the day she had been good about not punching him (which surprised him). Plus she wasn't constantly berating him over every little thing. But really, he didn't mind the occasional punch and insult here and there - it just meant that she cared enough to scold him over his actions.

Besides, that was just the way their relationship worked and he wouldn't have it any other way.

"There," Sakura said suddenly, her hand extended out in front of her, her index finger pointing in the direction of a decent sized store with a green, tin roof. It didn't appear to be very busy, and the less people the better.

Naruto blinked and bobbed his head, "Okay," and with that he was dragged off into the store. "Are you just looking for something specific or are we going to get a bunch of things?"

Sakura shrugged, "I figured we would get some real food - like vegetables, fruits, meat, bread, NEW milk, water, and juice and . . ." she trailed off, a blush tainting her cheeks once again. This time Naruto decided the best action was to not mention it - and he was right.

"Sounds fine with me, I suppose," Naruto chimed, as they walked through the doors where they were immediately handed a blue, plastic basket with thin, black, plastic handles by a pimple-faced young man that looked bored out of his mind. Which they would have felt the same way if they were him.

"Where to first?" The blond questioned, interrupting the silence while walking with his hands behind his head.

"Let's get the food first."

* * *

It only took the two ten minutes to collect all the food items needed with little complications. The only time Sakura had been tempted to punch Naruto was when he kept complaining about all the vegetables Sakura was selecting. The pinkette was about to either slap him or punch herself. If she had heard another, "But that's soooo nasty, Sakura-chan!" or, "Yuck, this is a waste of my money!" she would have blown.

"Now what do we have to get, Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked, his arm getting tired of carrying around a ten pound basket (which it wasn't heavy, but the plastic was digging into his arm uncomfortably).

Sakura gritted her teeth together, "Just a little something I have to get." she finally answered, heading toward an isle that looked distinctively feminine to Naruto. All the blond could think was 'what could she possibly need there?'. He wanted to ask, but he didn't want to risk it.

Finally when they were standing in the middle of the isle, Sakura snatched a box of tampons off the third shelf, her face redder than a ripe tomato as she muttered curses under her breath. "Tampons?" Naruto mumbled, a look of confusion on his face. "Um, what the hell do you do with those?"

"Naruto, shut up!" Sakura squealed, clutching the box to her chest in embarrassment.

"I was just asking!" Naruto explained, shaking his head. Would he ever understand women and why were they so damn touchy about things? The answer: probably not.

"Sakura . . . ? Naruto . . . ?"

The said two froze and turned to face the end of the isle where a slightly amused, slightly confused, and slightly annoyed figure stood. "I-I-Ino?" Sakura choked out, feeling even more red than earlier. Could this day get any worse for her?

Ino gazed at the tampons in Sakura's hands, her horrified expression priceless. "Why the hell are you taking NARUTO tampon shopping?" she demanded.

"I-It's not l-like that!" Sakura cried out, only to be ignored.

"I know you two are close, but don't you think this is taking it a bit far?" Ino went on to say.

"I-Ino-"

"Shesh, I'm pretty sure he don't give a damn about when you're ragging." she said, "Besides, when it comes to you it's like you're ragging constantly anyway. I mean you can be a real bitch-"

"INO!" Sakura bellowed, her voice gruff.

"Huh?" Ino blinked, finally realizing that her pink-haired friend was actually speaking.

"Shut the hell up, you stupid ass pig!" the rosette added, tossing the box of tampons in her and Naruto's shopping basket.

"Just what is going on?" Naruto piped up, his eyes shifting from Sakura to Ino. He really wished that someone would explain to him why everyone was yelling. That and he really didn't want to go home with a raging Sakura. He didn't know what would happen - nor did he want to know.

"Nothing!" Sakura answered, crossing her arms and tapping her foot on the marble floor. She really wanted to get away from Ino, the girl was going to make things more difficult and uncomfortable for Naruto. But then again, when they went to the festival they were going to be around a whole lot more of their friends - and that in itself would be hell. It would be almost impossible to stay within the radius - and that would result in a lot of confusion for the others and a lot of pain and exhaustion for her and Naruto.

Ino shook her head, "Anyway," she said, approaching Sakura and reaching for her wrist, "I need to ask you something, forehead."

Sakura leaped back away from Ino, "Um, if it's not that important why don't you just tell me here?"

Ino rolled her eyes, "Shesh, you and Naruto are attached at the hip!" she exclaimed, then blinked, a smirk growing on her lips, "Oh, I see," she purred, "you and Naruto are finally together, eh?"

Sakura 'eeped' and jumped while Naruto scratched the back of his head with his free hand, "N-No!"

"Suree." the blond kunoichi teased, snickering. "Shikamaru and I had a bet that you two would get together," she explained, "He said that you two would within a year - and I said within a few weeks - looks like I was right."

Sakura and Naruto gaped at the blond, "You TWO were making BETS on Naruto and I?" the pink-haired teen barked, clearly upset.

"Yeah, but calm down," Ino said, patting Sakura on the head (which didn't calm the teenager down one bit), "What I had to tell you was that we need to go dress shopping later tonight. It's not a traditional festival so the females of the village don't have to wear kimonos- nor do the males have to wear yukatas."

Sakura sighed, a pout on her lips; she really wanted to go shopping with Ino, but she couldn't without Naruto tagging along - and Ino would complain about that. She knew the blond female would want a girls' night out. But at the moment, that just wasn't possible unless she wanted her and Naruto dead; which was highly unlikely.

"Well?" Ino interjected, snapping Sakura out of her thoughts.

"I can't . . ." Sakura murmured, looking down at her feet. "I already promised Naruto that we could go shopping together for outfits." she mumbled, "Right?"

Naruto jumped, "Huh? What? Oh, yeah, right." he answered sheepishly, his cheeks pink. He really needed to pay attention more - maybe then he wouldn't be so damn lost all the time. Not that he was always lost, he just didn't feel like listening in on their conversation. Especially if Sakura or Ino said something that they didn't want him to know. And sometimes it was just best to play dumb and pretend not to hear certain things.

"WHAT?" Ino snapped, placing her hands on her hips and pushing her bottom lip out like the stubborn - and slightly spoiled - Yamanaka that she was, "First you take him tampon shopping and now you're going clothing shopping together? Did your penis detach itself and walk away, Naruto?"

Naruto stared in shock at the other blond, offended by her words, "What the? No!"

"Sure! Maybe Sakura wasn't even buying tampons for herself - but you instead!" she grumbled teasingly.

"Gr-"

"ENOUGH!" Sakura howled, completely red from head-to-toe. "It was nice seeing you Ino, but Naruto and I really have to go. I have to help him put his groceries away and I don't want anything to spoil." she said, trying to ebb out of the tense and somewhat playful conversation.

"Fine," Ino huffed, "you two have fun at your apartment, Naruto." She giggled, walking away.

Sakura sighed, "Finally . . ."

Naruto bobbed his head in agreement, "Really," he said grumpily. He certainly had a penis - and it was attached.

* * *

After they paid for their groceries, the two headed back to Naruto's apartment and put everything away. Of course they had to remove all the expired foods such as the milk, eggs, and lunch meats first. "Naruto, how the hell have you been drinking milk that expired two months ago?" she had demanded, attempting to pour out the remainder of the white (now) toxic substance down the drain.

The blond ruffled his shaggy blond hair that favored his father's so much, and gave a lopsided grin, "I guess I never noticed, heh,"

Sakura had rolled her eyes, placed the empty milk jug in the trashcan then ran hot water in the sink to get rid of the stench and clumps. And that was that. Now they were on there way to one of two of the only clothing stores in Konoha to get decent outfits for the winter festival.

Sakura shivered and rubbed her arms, she should have put a scarf on before leaving the apartment. Or at least a pair of leggings on, her legs were freezing! She suddenly froze when she felt a strong, warm arm be draped across her shoulders then her body being tugged into a lean, stout torso. Immediately she was warmer. "N-Naruto?" Sakura squeaked in surprise.

Naruto blushed and looked away. "You looked kind of cold," he mumbled bashfully trailing off. After a moment of silence passed he tensed and prepared for a punch that never came.

"Thanks, Naruto." Sakura chimed, smiling appreciatively.

The blond shinobi returned the gesture and relaxed, both becoming more comfortable in the embrace, "No problem, Sakura-chan," he chirped, squeezing her arm playfully.

Sakura giggled and punched him in the chest with a slightly chakra enhanced fist, earning a 'oof' from the young man, "Ow, Sakura-chan," he grumbled, rubbing his sore chest with his free hand. "why did you have to hit so hard?"

"Because you deserved it," she finally answered after a moment of thought.

"That's not fair," Naruto replied, a foxy grin on his face. "But I guess you could have sent me to the other side of the village with that monster strength-" he immediately paused, his eyes wide. He did not just say 'monster strength'. He didn't . . . No - ! It was just a string of thought running through his head that didn't escape from his mouth in the form of something audible.

"What the hell did you just say?" Sakura growled, her body stiffening in the crook of the arm he had wrapped firmly around her.

He was wrong - he did say the cursed words and now he had to come up with something fast - or else. "Oh HEY! Look there's the clothing store!" He exclaimed, pointing at a red-tin roofed (he would have ran if the necklaces wouldn't such hindrance), two story building that was a little populated. The villagers were bound to be doing last minute shopping.

Sakura twitched and turned to face her teammate. She was itching to punch him into the neighboring building, but she restrained herself - after all she had to keep the three meter radius in mind. "I swear once these necklaces are removed you're getting punched."

Naruto laughed nervously, "R-Right."

* * *

**That's all for now! I hope it was okay.**

**Please read and review!**

**And sorry for the long wait by the way!**


	5. Dressing Room

**A/N: I would like to thank everyone that has taken the time to read and review and favorite and alert this story up to this point! I really appreciate the support! And I hope that you all continue giving that support! Anyways, on with the story ( :**

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**Chapter Five**

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"You should try this on, Naruto," Sakura chirped, holding up an orange, plain t-shirt tucked underneath a black duffle-coat. "I think it would suit you!"

Naruto arched his eyebrows, blinked, and grinned, "Sure, why not?" he chimed in reply before snatching the items out of Sakura's hands.

"Wait - the dressing room issue." Sakura suddenly blurted, wide-eyed. How could she have forgotten that her and Naruto would have to go in the dressing rooms together? _Great,_ she thought, _another awkward situation._

"Well," Naruto began, his brows furrowed, "you need to go pick out something and we'll go change together. Problem solved."

The pinkette huffed and placed her hands on her hips, her eyes scanning their surroundings. The store was crowded with tons of people, she narrowed her eyes, the lack of people outside had been deceiving. Inside, the heat was astounding due to both body heat and the overworked heating system, and someone had such an overwhelming case of body odor that Sakura had a hard time blocking out the stench to focus on the task at hand. She certainly wasn't in the best mood and just wanted some time alone, but it couldn't be helped.

"What do you say, huh?" Naruto piped encouragingly.

Sakura shook her head, "There is still the issue of us having to change in the same room." she growled, "Pathetic ass store only has two changing rooms and they're on opposite ends of the building."

Naruto slapped his forehead, "We'll turn opposite directions." he said, "That way you won't see me naked and I won't see you naked."

Sakura sighed, that was the only compromise so far, "What other choice do we have?"

"Well," Naruto began but paused, he was going to say that they could take turns in the dressing room. However that would take up more time and he, being a slight pervert, liked the thought of changing in the same room as the girl he had been crushing on forever. Maybe he could even sneak a peek in. With that being said he could already picture Sakura's tone back and small, round butt.

"Well, what?" Sakura finally interjected, clearly agitated. He assumed a lot of her irritation was because of the stink-ass lingering around the clothing section that they were in. After all, he was half-tempted himself to find the one smelling so badly and throw a bucket of water on them followed by a well deserved slap to the face (hopefully his hand wouldn't rot off). He thought everyone had heard of soap, water, and deodorant. Apparently he was mistaken.

"Never mind." He replied sheepishly, his hand subconsciously finding its way to the back of his head.

The pinkette puffed her cheeks out before grabbing Naruto's wrist and leading him over to another clothing rack. Nothing was said as she searched through the dresses, that was until her eyes suddenly lit up and she snatched a mid-thigh length, white sundress from the rack. It had a heart-shaped bust made with lace that was also on the bottom of the dress. "I love it!" she squealed, alerting Naruto.

The blond immediately pulled out a kunai and looked around, "What's going on?"

"This dress is perfect!" Sakura beamed, ignoring Naruto, "It's simple, but I can wear a cute navy blue cardigan sweater I have with!" she rambled on happily, oblivious to Naruto's grumbling as he placed his kunai back in his pouch.

"Women . . ." Naruto murmured.

Sakura froze up and glared at him, "What was that?"

"Uh - er - um, women are Kami's gift?" he yelped.

Sakura smirked, "That's what I thought you said," she said, "Now let's go try our stuff on."

* * *

After Naruto picked out a pair of nice-fitting blue jeans, he and Sakura headed off to the dressing room on the east side of the mall. They were relieved to discover that the east side didn't smell like someone had died. But their relief was short lived - well for Sakura - as they entered the dressing room - which was a lot smaller than they had initially assumed it to be. It was a room about three feet deep and two feet wide with a long, rectangular mirror on the back of the door.

"Dammit Naruto!" Sakura screeched after having another elbow jabbed into her side. "Move it!"

"But Sakura-channnn!" Naruto whined, "This room is too small!"

"Don't you think I can't see that?" she barked, accidentally pushing Naruto into the wall behind her. He slammed face first into the wall with an 'oompfuck'.

"Ouch," Naruto hissed, rubbing his sore forehead. "Sorry, it'll be easier once I get these pants on!"

"Sure," Sakura growled, hanging her shirt on one of the hooks on the wall. "If you look_ I will castrate_ you. Got it?"

Naruto gulped nervously as he slid the new pants on. There goes his chance of getting a sneak peek in on his just oh-so-innocent-and-sweet crush. "Y-Yes, Sakura-chan." he mumbled, then unhooked the duffle coat from the wall and slipped it on over the t-shirt Sakura had picked out for him, careful not to bang into the kunoichi again.

"I'm done." Sakura sighed, tugging on the dress to rid the material of any unwanted wrinkles.

Naruto turned on his heels and was in awe at the sight before him. She was perfect, yet flawed at the same time. The dress fit her body perfectly- it cuffed her small bust and barely flowed out from her slender body in an elegant manner. However, it was her flaws that he truly adored. Like her large and charming forehead. It was beautiful and set her apart - just like her bubble gum pink locks that had a thick and somewhat course texture. Her back was lean as were her arms and legs, but her stomach looked soft under her garments. She didn't carry a four pack like Ino, no, she had a barely noticeable pudge that was cute yet sexy at the same time. He knew this because they had went swimming together before.

Also she had a few scars dressing her skin. One that was about two inches long on her left shoulder blade, claw marks on her upper arm (shamefully because of him) and one that lay vertically on her stomach. It was about three inches long and went all the way through- meaning that it was in the exact same place on her back.

Yep, Sakura certainly wasn't perfect, but like he had already mentioned, her flaws was what he adored the most about her.

"You look amazing," Naruto murmured, a blush apparent on his cheeks.

Sakura gave a soft smile, her cheeks turning a soft, complimentary pink. "Thank you, you look handsome yourself," she said with a giggle.

Oh and did Naruto mention that she was slightly bipolar? Her mood could change within seconds. Yet, that was just another thing for him to cherish about her.

"You're welcome-"

"By the way let's hurry." Sakura interjected, a sour and slightly uncomfortable look now on her just-smiling face.

Naruto cocked a brow and frowned, his hand going behind his head to scratch, "Why, Sakura-chan?"

"I think stink-ass is getting closer."

"Just great."

* * *

"It's nice to be home," Naruto cooed as he plopped down on the bed beside Sakura, earning a groan of disapproval.

"Be careful!" Sakura scolded, her hand grasping a small bulb shaped bottle containing maroon colored fingernail polish within, "You almost made me spill it," she added in a hiss before easing out the unscrewed brush from the bottle and commencing to paint the thumbnail on her right hand.

"Oh, sorry," Naruto said sheepishly. On the bed beside him Sakura smiled and rolled her eyes fondly. He may have been a dork but she wouldn't have him any other way.

"Anyways," Sakura began, dipping the tip of the brush back into the bottle before moving on to her middle finger, "I kind of dread the festival tomorrow."

Naruto shrugged, "I'm kind of excited. It's another date for us!"

Sakura huffed, "Who said it is a date?" she demanded slightly playful.

"Uh-" Naruto started but was cut short.

"How about this: if you pay for everything then it will be a date?" Sakura offered, her jade orbs holding a shimmer in them.

Naruto gulped, his heart pounding in his chest, she had actually accepted a date with him? "YEAH!" he whooped, causing Sakura to just shake her head and get back to painting her short nails. That was until Naruto jumped up and fell off the bed - straight on his ass.

* * *

**All right, that's all for now because this is mainly just a 'filler' chapter. It's suppose to be short but it's got a little more romance in it.**

**Also I hope it's not too much of anything lol.**

**Anyways, please review!**


	6. The Festival Part I

**A/n: Sorry for the wait! I was away on a trip to Virginia Beach for a week! And thanks for the reviews! Anyways, here is the chapter ^^**

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**Chapter Six**

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"I BETTER HEAR YOU SINGING OUT THERE OR ELSE!" Sakura snapped, causing Naruto to nearly pee his pants.

"MARY HAD A LITTLE LAMB! LITTLE LAMB-" Naruto screeched, his voice horribly out of tune and shaky.

In the bathroom, sitting on the almighty throne, Sakura sighed, her cheeks pink with embarrassment. First she had a stomach ache, then last night her monthly gift decided to show up. So now she was in the most embarrassing situation she had ever faced in her life. And the only way to cover up her 'situation' was to have Naruto stand outside the bathroom door and sing (horribly might she add) until she was finished in the bathroom.

"SO I JUST SHAKE MY BUTT! DUN DUN DUN DUNN!" Naruto continued on with a different song, his fingers plunged into the depths of his earholes. He never dreamed that Sakura would be so . . . extreme about him hearing her in the bathroom. It's not like he would make a dumb ass comment. . .

Moments later Sakura came out of the bathroom, relieved and embarrassed at the same time. "Sorry about that," she mumbled, "I'll take my shower after you."

"Aww, don't worry about it," Naruto chimed walking into the bathroom then turning around to shut the door. His eyes automatically darted to Sakura's butt where he saw - was that blood? "SAKURA-CHAN YOU'RE BLEEDING!"

Sakura's face turned apple red. She had forgot to change her pants this morning! "It's going - "

"WE NEED TO GET YOU TO THE HOSPITAL!" he interjected frantically, his hands on the sides of his head.

"NARUTO, IT'S MY PERIOD!" Sakura screeched finally, huffing. She was embarrassed to exclaim such a thing so loudly, but he acted as if he had never had sex education before! Then again, he didn't know exactly what a woman goes through during their 'time of the month'. That and the ninja academy didn't have a sex education course - plus Naruto never had a motherly figure to teach him of such things.

Naruto blinked, "What's that?"

Sakura blushed but decided it was best to explain things to him just in case he saw a tampon or something. It would save them both from more embarrassing situations later on. "Okay, Naruto," she began, placing both hands firmly on his shoulders, "I think it's time you learned about what a woman really goes through . . ."

* * *

After Sakura's professional explanation of what a period was really like, Naruto and the pinkette stood in awkward silence, both blushing madly.

"I . . . um, think I'm going to get in the shower now." Naruto murmured nervously, cheeks still pink as he headed into the bathroom after Sakura agreed with a nod.

Once both Sakura and Naruto had showered they changed into their 'festival' clothes and headed on out. Of course they were both conscious that there was a possibility that they could be separated - which would be bad. However, they were going to avoid that at all costs. Even if it meant that others were thinking it appeared as if they were 'clinging' to each other. Ino, much to Sakura's dismay, would be a problem with her nagging. The blonde female would want to spend a shit load of time together - alone - shopping and checking out the booths. That obviously wasn't an option. Not in Sakura and Naruto's current predicament anyhow.

"I hope nothing happens," Sakura muttered, eyeing the crowd for any of their closest friends. Honestly, she didn't want to be on 'look-out'. The delicious smells that wafted about was mouth watering and enticing - as was the games that many booths offered. If it wasn't for those damn necklaces she and Naruto and whoever else could enjoy their time. Then again, she frowned, if it wasn't for those necklaces Naruto would still be upset with her. So really it was both a blessing and a curse.

Naruto bobbed his head in agreement, "Me too." he mumbled quietly, his eyes darting around. He was mainly focused on finding any of the ramen stands and taste testing each type of ramen. Of course Ichiraku's ramen was the best. However, he wanted to see what other tastes one could make with the same flavor. Hopefully he wouldn't be disappointed.

"Naruto," Sakura growled, gaining the blonde's attention.

"What is it, Sakura-chan?" he asked, his eyes still scanning their surroundings until he felt a gentle, yet stern tug on his arm that made him turn to face his crush. He noted she appeared to be a bit stressed out and paranoid- nevertheless she was stunning. Her glossed lips were pulled down into an annoyed and worried frown, her sea-foam green orbs were popping out thanks to the mascara she had applied while her pink tresses were loosely curled with her bangs clipped over to the left side with a black bobby-pin.

Sakura sighed and shook her head, "We need to try and avoid Ino by all means." she said, "So that means we have to avoid Shikamaru and Choji as well."

Naruto cocked an eyebrow at her, "Why?"

"Because Ino will want to spend most of the day with me- and Shikamaru and Choji would tell her if they saw me." she explained, "Which means that she will be trying to separate us if she is around."

"Oh, right," Naruto muttered, scratching the back of his head, "sorry."

Sakura blushed and turned her head away, she didn't understand why she was feeling extremely attracted to Naruto at the moment. Maybe it was the way his shaggy hair gave him a sexy look? Or how strong he felt when she grabbed his arm? Or what about his sun kissed skin and vibrant, warm personality?

The pinkette nearly slapped herself having such thoughts. She would never allow herself to fall so easily for someone again. Not after what Sasuke had done to her - to them. He had shattered her heart over and over- yet she had been naive enough to allow him to. She had been daft and shallow. Her love for Sasuke was mainly based on appearances and what she thought him to be like. She knew he was struggling and hurting over what had happened to his family, yet what she chose to see was how powerful he was. She had thought him to be loyal, courageous, cunning, handsome- a real life fairy-tale hero. And of course she (when she had been obsessed with her vanity) thought that she would be the damsel in distress that he would hopelessly fall in love with. That he would be smitten with her and no other girl.

What a load of shit.

Even after she had cut her hair and started seeing Sasuke as a person and not an object, she still thought he was going to be her fairytale hero. Except that time she was going to be the heroine that he fell for.

Once again: what a load of shit.

Real life fairy-tales didn't exist. She knew that now. If only she did back then maybe Sasuke would have more respect for her. He wouldn't have excluded her as part of the team. Once he was out of prison she would prove to him that she was different. Not to make him fall for her- but so he would have that respect for her.

"Just don't forget to be on constant look - out - " she paused in mid-sentence, her eyes landing on a certain booth.

"Sakura-chan?" Naruto chirped, waving his hand in front of her face, "What the hell - " he followed her line of vision to a booth selling pickled eggs and shook his head with a grin. He should have known. Sakura absolutely loved pickled eggs- it had to be one of her favorite dishes. "Since this is a date," he wiggled his eyebrows and fished out his wallet, "I'll buy."

Sakura turned pink once again at the word 'date'. Of course she shouldn't be surprised as it had been her suggestion, but with how her emotions were running wild at the moment - she couldn't help it. "Thanks."

"No problem," Naruto chimed, his wallet now in his right hand. He then held out his left arm, earning a giggle and eye roll from Sakura as she wrapped her own arm around his.

"Have I ever told you that you're too good to me?" Sakura asked as they neared the booth.

Naruto shook his head, "No," he said, "but you're good to me too."

Sakura sighed, "No, really, you have been a great friend and teammate, Naruto," she explained while picking out the eggs that she wanted. The chubby man with a thick mustache behind the booth wrapped the ones she picked out up and handed them to Sakura. After the price was announced Naruto handed the man the payment and they headed back out into the middle of the crowded street.

"Well, you have been an awesome friend and teammate, Sakura-chan," Naruto complimented, "I would be dead if it wasn't for your medical expertise."

"Ha," Sakura laughed, "you have saved my life on numerous occasions, idiot. A lot more than I have yours."

"Still yet, I'm the one that's in debt to you." Naruto pointed out, his sky blue orbs appearing soft and distant at the same time.

Sakura knotted her eyebrows together, "What do you mean?" she questioned, "You understood me all along and yet I still treated you so badly."

"I didn't mind, I was just happy to have someone that accepted me." Naruto stated, giving her a foxy smile that melted her heart.

"Naruto . . ."

"Naruto-kun!"

The two jumped at the booming voice and whipped around to face Lee and Tenten. Lee was dressed in a traditional yukata; the base color of the garment was a light green with dark forest green leaves on it with a black and gold sash. Tenten, however, was clothed in a more modern attire. She had on dark blue skinny jeans with knee high, no-heeled brown boots, and a green sweater that was pulled down over her shoulders to reveal her slender neck and shoulders. Her hair, which was breast length, was curled only at the ends while her bangs were straightened. She looked beautiful.

"Oh, bushy brows," Naruto greeted, earning a jab in the side by Sakura.

"What did I tell you . . . ?" she growled out in warning, earning a gulp from the blonde.

"S-Sorry," he mumbled then averted his attention back to Lee, "anyways, what are you guys up to?"

"Just checking out all the wonderful activities! Yosh!" the overly hyper teen remarked enthusiastically. "And you?"

Naruto rolled his eyes, "Same."

"Oh," Tenten chirped, "Ino was looking for you Sakura, she said she had to tell you something important."

_Shit,_ Sakura thought while chewing on her bottom lip. She really wanted to hear what Ino had to tell her, but because of the necklaces, alone time wasn't possible. She would just have to call her later- it was the only option she had. "All right, thanks."

"No problem," Tenten retorted, "but we better get going."

"It was nice seeing you guys again," Sakura said politely, waving them off.

"Yeah," Naruto agreed, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"May the power of youth burn in your souls!" Lee boomed, snatching Sakura's hand and kissing it, "Especially you, my beautiful cherry blossom!"

"Er, thanks, Lee-kun?" Sakura said, laughing nervously as he pulled away.

Tenten shook her head and grabbed Lee's arm, "Let's go, Lee."

"Shew, what a relief - I was thinking about kicking his bushy-browed ass," Naruto murmured once the duo was out of ear shot, wiping imaginary sweat of his brow with the back of his hand. He never was big on Lee hitting on Sakura, it caused him to feel . . . dare he admit it: jealous. He didn't dislike Lee, it wasn't that, but like he said: he didn't like him flirting with Sakura. Especially since his pink-haired teammate blatantly thought a lot about the bowl-headed teen.

"Be nice," Sakura scolded as the commenced to walk on down the street.

"Yeah, yeah . . ."

* * *

**This is part one of the festival. I plan on the next part having more in it, which is why I decided to split it up into two parts. Also, after the festival will be a small time skip.**

**Anyways, I hope you enjoyed, sorry for any mistakes! Please review!**


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